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Planetary Exploration Technologies

The future technology plan (for 2008-2010) is under revision and new definition (lead by the Science Payload Instrument section, SRE-PAT) according to the needs of the down selected proposals for Cosmic Vision and the recommendations of the advisory structure. It will be published after the approval of the advisory structure (expected in Q2/2008).

Future missions and new concepts for planetary investigations require miniaturisation, high efficiency, lower power consumption, extreme temperature ranges, radiation tolerance, high shock resistance, high integration, mobility and many additional requirements on the instruments side.

Studies, and eventual early development, of principle concepts is important in order to have key enabling technologies available in a timely manner. Furthermore, it is often the case that details of particular technical solutions are required even during the feasibility studies and assessment studies, to achieve realistic assumptions on resources and challenges in the development, realization, accommodation and cost.

Below is a (non-exhaustive) overview on activities, which have been performed or supported by SRE-PAP in close cooperation with SRE-PAT, SRE-PAI and DTEC:

In-orbit remote sensing payload

Laser altimeter

Radar and subsurface radar concepts

Microwave sounder

Miniaturisation of payloads

Integration of instruments into a suite

Instrument power supply concepts

Detectors and front-end electronics

Payload performance simulator

Surface and subsurface payload

Water detection

Sample preparation (drilling, grinding, digging, and so on)

Advanced robotics

Swarms of smart robotic sensors

Solar sailing and other new propulsion systems

Hard penetrators

Soft landing

Rover and moles

Ice penetrator (melting probes)

Data transfer and communications technologies

Microprobes and aerobots

High-density power sources

Spacecraft technologies

Solar sailing and other new propulsion systems

Low Intensity Low Temperature (LILT) Solar Cell technology

Atmospheric Entry Probes (Jupiter, Venus)

Mercury Landing Technology

Current Projects

GIPFGeochemical Instrument Package Facility
A suite of instruments with a complementary set of analytical methods to analyse rock and soil samples.

HICoPHighly Integrated Communalised Payload System
Study and design of a Highly Integrated Communalised Payload System for a planetary exploration rover.

HIPSHighly Integrated Payload Suite
A study with bread boarding of critical components to demonstrate the capabilities, challenges and limitations of such a concept for a remote sensing payload.